Railway-frog



No. 627,l23. lPater'lted Jne 20, i899..

L. C. KELLEY E. L. REICH.

RAILWAY FROG.

(Application filed Mar. 6, 1899.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

wif asses No. 627,I23. Patented lune 20, |899. L. C. KELLEY & E. L.REICH.

lRAILWAY FROG.

(Application led Mar. 6, 1899.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

@my R/QLCFL,

' tion.

NiTnD STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOGAN CURTIS KELLEY AND EDMOND L. REICH, OF ASI-I GROVE, MISSOURI.

RAILWAY-FROG.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 627,123, dated June 20,1899.

Application filed March 6, 1899.

To @ZZ whom t may concern.-

Be it known that we,LoGAN CURTIs KELLEY and EDMoND L. REICH, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Ash Grove, in the county of Greene andState of Missouri,have in vented a new and useful Railway-Frog, of whichthe following is a specitication.

This invention relates to railway frogs adapted to be used in connectionwith steam and other roads; and the object of the invention is toprovide a simple and efcient device of this character involving aprimary switch or frog-operating member consisting, preferably, of arail tting longitudinally against one of the track-rails and which canbe acted upon at -its opposite ends or other convenient points by theiiange of a locomotive or car wheel or other part for the purpose ofthrowing the frog so that a train, car, or locomotive can pass from abranch or siding onto the main line.

With these ends in view the invention consists in the novel combinationof elements and in the construction and arrangement of parts, which willbe'hereinafter fully described and claimed.

To enableothers to understand the invention ,the preferred embodimentthereof is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, and in which-h Figure 1 is a plan view of arailway-switch constructed in accordance with our invention andillustrating the frog in its normal posi- Fig. 2 is a similar view7 thefrog being shown as shifted to permit a locomotive or the like to passfrom the' siding to the main line, and in this figure awheel isrepresented as having shifted the primary actuating-rail for the purposeof operating the frog. Figs. 3 and 4 are cross-sections on the lines 3 3and 4 4 of Figs. 1 and 2, respectively.

Like characters denote like and corresponding parts in each of theseveral figures of the drawings.

In the drawings the outermost rails of the switch are designated by 2and`3, the rail 2 being the outer one of the main track or line, whilethe rail 3 is the outer one of the branch or siding, and bot-h of theseVrails are shown as being continuous.

The rail-sections 4 and 5, between which the frog F is disposed,constitute a part of Serial No. 707,945. (No model.)

the main line, the travel of trains over the latter being controlled bythe frog.

The rail-sections 6 and 7 cooperate with the branch rail 3 andconstitute a portion of the side line. The short rail-sections 4 and Giare adapted to cooperate with the frog, which latter is shiftablebetween the oppositely--disposed angular ends 5' and 7 of therail-.sections 5 and 7, respectively.

The outer rails 2 and 3 and the shorter intermediate rails 4 and 6 and 5and 7 are secured to the ties 6' in some convenient manner, and theoperation of the frog is limited by the chairs 7, upon which the frog issustained for lateral sliding movement and which are secured to the tiesand provided with the usual lugs or ears 8, between which the frog isdisposed and which engage the same when it is in its two shiftedpositions.

The frog F consists of two rail-sections 9 and 10, the squared ends 9and 10' of which are contiguous to the correspondingly-shaped portionsof the track rails or sections 4 and 6, respectively, and are connectedto said parts by iiexible straps, as 12, bolted or otherwise secured tothe parts, although it is evident that the frog can be otherwisesustained. The two sections of the frog are adapted to slide in contactupon their inner faces for a portion of their length, and the section 9is provided with a beveled end or point 13, the faces of which areoppositely inclined to agree with and to fit against thecorrespondinglyinclined faces 5' and 7 of the rail-sections 5 and 7. Thetwo portions of the frog are connected together by the bolt 14,extending through registering openings therein and embraced at one endby the nut 15.- The sleeve or collar 16 surrounds the bolt between thenut 15 and the web of the frog-section 10 and serves as a housing forthe coiled spring 17, which iits against the head of the bolt `and alsoagainst the frog, thereby to hold the two sections of the latter in firmengagement. The tension of the spring can be readily regulated byturning the nut 15.` The Aopening in the frog-section lO through whichthe connecting-bolt 14 passes is slightly wider than the opening in thefrog-section 9, thereby permitting the part 10 to slide upon itscompanion 9 as the frog is shifted.

The primary operating device, which is ac- IOO tuated by a wheel orother part, is designated by 18, and it is disposed in parallelism withthe outer rail 3 of the siding and is adapted to closely fit against thelatter when in its normal position, as clearly representedin Fig. 1, andis held in such position by a coiled spring, as 19. The coiled springsurrounds the bolt 2O and iits against the web of the rail 3 and alsoagainst the nut 21 on the end of the bolt, which passes through the railand is also headed, as at 22, upon its inner side. The coiled spring issurrounded by the jacket or sleeve 23which tits against the outer faceof the web of said rail. The opposite ends of the primary actuatingdevice 18 are beveled off, as at 24, and the car-wheel is adapted tostrike and operate the beveled surfaces 24, thereby to move the part 18bodily away from the rail 3, and consequently effect the operationof thefrog F. The flange 25 of the carwheel 26 is usually provided to crowdthe operating-rail inward, and when it passes out of contact therewiththe spring 19 serves to instantly return the same to its initial ornormal position, as represented in Fig. 1.

At suitable points in the length of the rail 18 the arms 27 are rigidlysecured and extend transversely therefrom' and are pivotally connectedwith the oppositely-disposed levers 2S, the front ends of which are inadjacence and the rear ends of which are fulcrumed to plates, as 29,secured to the ties 6. A connecting bolt or rod is shown at 30, and itis bifurcated or forked, as at 31, the branches of the latter beingldisposed under the adjacent ends of the levers and having right-angularoliset portions 32 extending through the levers and iitted with nuts 33to hold the parts in iixed relation. The bolt or rod 3l extends througha bearing 34, depending from the frog F, and is provided' upon itsthreaded surface with nuts 35, located at opposite sides of the bearing.

The rail-sections 5 and 7 rest at their inner ends upon the wide plateor chair 36, which is secured to a series of ties 6 transversely acrossthe sam e, and also supports the pointed end of the frog F. Said plateor chair also carries the short guard-rail 37, which is secured thereto,and which abuts against the rail-section 5, and which is engaged by thepointed end of the frog when the latter is in its initial position.

The levers 28 are connected with the shiftable operating-rail by thediagonal braces 38, which receive at their inner ends the pivots 39,that connect the transverse arms 27 and said levers, and the rear endsof these braces are secured to the under side of said part 18 to movetherewith.

From the foregoing description it will be evident that the flange 25 ofa car-wheel 26 by riding along the beveled surfaces 24 can thrust therail bodily sidewise, thereby moving the frog F in a correspondingdirection and carrying its pointed end out of contact with therail-section 5 and into engagement with the rail-section 7, as shown inFig. 2,

whereby the locomotive, car, or train can pass from the siding or branchonto the main line. When the wheel or wheels pass out ofcontact with therail 13, the latter will be returned to its primary position by thespring 19.

Changes in the form, proportion, size, and the minor details ofconstruction within the scope of the appended claims may be resorted towithout departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantagesof this invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is-` n 1.The combination with outer, main and branch rails', of intermediaterail-sections having oblique faces, a frog disposed between therail-sections and including two sections one of which is slidable uponthe other, and having oblique faces adapted to engage the faces of theintermediate rail-sections,a spring for holding the two sections of thefrog in engagement, and mechanism including a rail located to beoperated by a car-wheel or like device for shifting said frog,substantially as described.

2. The combination with outer, main and branch track-rails, ofintermediate track-sections disposed in pairs and two of which haveoblique faces upon their inner ends, a frograil supported between thetrack-sections and havinga pointed end adapted to engage either of saidoblique faces, and including a slidable section', means for holding thetwo scctions of the switch-rails in contact, and a rail in position tobe operated by a car-wheel or other like part and operatively connectedwith and adapted to actuate said switch-rail, substantially asdescribed.

3. The combination with outer, main and branch rails, of intermediatetrack-sections, a frog shiftabl y supported between said tracksectionsand consisting of two parts one of which is slidable on the other, abolt extending through the two parts of the frog, a nut on the bolt, acoiled spring surrounding the boltand fitti ngagainst the nutand alsoagainst the frog, a casing surrounding said coiled spring, a rail ttingagainst the outer branch rail longitudinally thereof and in position tobe operated by a car-wheel or like part, and connections between saidcar-wheel-operated rail and the frog for operating the latter,substantially as described.

4. The combination with outer, main and branch rails, of intermediaterail-sections two of which have oblique faces, a frog shiftablysupported between said intermediate rail-sectionshaving a pointed endadapted to engage either of said oblique faces and consisting of twomembers one of which is slidable on the other, a device for holding thetwo members of the frog in contact, a longitudinal actuating-railfitting against the branch rail and connected withthefrogforoperatingthe same, substantially as described.

5. The combination with outer, main and branch rails, of intermediaterail-sections two IOO IIO

of which have oblique faces, a frog havinga pointed end adapted toengage either of said oblique faces, said frog being shiftably supportedbetween said intermediate rail-sections and consisting of two membersone of which is slidable on the other, a device for holding the twomembers of the frog in contact, a longitudinal actuatingrail, means forholding said longitudinal actuating-rail against the branch rail,actuating-levers supported between said longitudinal actuatingrail andthe frog, a bolt adjustably connecting the levers and frog, andconnections between said levers and actuating-rail, substantially asdescribed.

6. The combination with outer, main and branch rails, of intermediaterail-sections, a frog shiftably supported between said intermediaterail-sections and consisting of two members one of which is slidable onthe other, a device for holding the two members of the frog in contact,a bolt extending through a bearing secured to the under side of the frogand having check-nuts, and said bolt being bifurcated, two leversconnected 'with the branches of said bolt, an actuating-rail fittedagainst the branch rail, and beveled at its opposite ends and providedwith arms connected with said levers, and means for holding saidactuating-rail and the branch rail in contact, substantially asdescribed.

7. The combination with outer, main, and branch rails, of intermediaterail-sections, a frog shiftably supported between said intermediaterailesections and consisting of two membersone of which is slidable onthe other, a device for holding the two members of the frog in contact,a bolt extending through a bearing secured to the under side of the frogand having check-nuts, and said bolt being bifurcated, two leversconnected with the branches of said bolt, an actuating-rail ittedagainst the branch rail, and beveled at its opposite ends and providedwith arms connected with said levers, means for holding saidactuating-rail and the branch rail in contact, and diagonal bracesconnected with said levers and with the actuating-rail, substantially asdescribed.

8. The combination with outer, main and branch rails, of intermediaterail-sections, a frog shiftably supported between said intermediaterail-sections and consisting of two members one of which is slidable onthe other, a device for holding the two members of the frog in contact,a bolt extending through a bearing secured to the under side of the frogand having check-nuts, and said bolt being bifurcated, two leversconnected with the branches of said bolt, an actuating-rail iittedagainst the branch rail, and beveled at its opposite ends and providedwith arms con nected with said levers, means for holding saidactuating-rail and the branch rail in con tact, diagonal bracesconnected with said levers and with the actuating-rail, a bolt extendingthrough said actuating-rail and the branch rail, a spring surroundingthe bolt and bearing against the nut thereof and the outer face of theweb of saidl branch rail, and a casing surrounding said spring,substantially as described. Y

lnA testimony that we claim the foregoing as f our own we have heretoaffixed our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

LOGAN CURTISv KELLEY. EDMOND L. REICH. Witnesses:

JNO. W. CANNAN, ILE. WILSON.

